Are you ready to defend Middle-earth from the forces of Sauron? Or, maybe, just maybe, you’ve got the urge to play a minion of Sauron and destroy those goody two-shoes Elves and Men folk? (Yep, you can play both good and evil sides in Lord of the Rings Conquest.) Well, we have a few combat tips for you, whether you sling an arrow as the Archer, raise Fire Walls as the Mage, slink around invisible as the Scout, or bash heads as the Warrior. For serious strategy and more tips than tea leaves in a Hobbit pantry, check out Prima’s official Lord of the Rings Conquest Game Guide on sale January 13 here: http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761560395.

Archer

• Always think long range first. You have a Kick melee attack for when foes close in on you, but it’s only an emergency move; your bow is definitely the best option.
• As an archer, keep your distance from melee units by firing Poison Arrows to slow them down, or knocking them down with a Fire Arrow or Kick.
• Practice your Zoom. If you have the time, it’s always easier to line up a target with a close-up view.
• The Archer can one-shot kill enemies even better than the Scout! While a Scout has to position himself for a Backstab behind a foe, the Archer only has to line up a headshot.
• Look for sniper points up on high. From above, you can survey the battle, usually out of harm’s way, and home in on your next victim.
• You do not have a healing ability. Look for enemies to drop Health Orbs and pick them up to stay alive.
• Stay in the rear. If you find yourself leading the charge ahead of your allies, you are in the wrong position.
• Slide into the protective Shield of a fellow Mage if you’re under assault from return fire, or seek out a Warrior if you need a bodyguard for some upcoming melee encounters.
• Never stay in one spot too long. Even a great sniper spot will be discovered by an enemy Scout eventually.

Mage

• Certain attacks cannot be interrupted by enemy attacks, such as the Mage’s Shockwave. These moves are generally slower, but inflict heavy damage. However, they are also slow to recover if you miss, providing the enemy a chance to counterattack. Experiment to find more, as these attacks can quickly turn the tide of battle when used properly.
• Think long-range first. The Mage works best when he picks off targets before they reach melee distance.
• Generally, hit a group of enemies with Firewall first. Next, charge up your Lightning and fry the closest remaining target.
• Use Shockwave to repel any enemies that manage to surround you. If you’re feeling daring, you can also wade into enemy groups and scatter them with a Shockwave blast.
• Shield can protect you from enemy ranged attacks. You can walk with Shield up, but you cannot attack (or recharge abilities), so use it only in situations where the enemy attack is overwhelming or when you need to slowly close on a better position.
• Your Heal can keep you in any fight. Whenever you are under 75 percent of your health, activate Heal. Trigger it often to stay at maximum health, and dance around avoiding combat if you need to use it multiple times to climb back to full.

Scout

• Cloak can be used to perfect your offense. Slip it on for just a few seconds to circle behind a foe for the Backstab, or pop up in front of them for several quick surprise strikes.
• Backstab is your main threat. From behind, you can one-shot kill anyone. Remember, though, that it takes a few seconds to pull off the maneuver, and you may be exposed to other enemies during this time.
• Blasting Powder not only hurls an opponent away from you, it also packs that same opponent with an explosive. Aim your hurtling opponent toward more foes and you can blast multiples for the price of one.
• You can be at the forefront of a charge, so long as you’re Cloaked and on your toes.
• Both Warriors and Scouts can string together combo moves, though the Scout can string together the longest sequence: eight attacks in a row!
• With Scouts, try stringing together melee attacks, starting with Light Attacks and ending with Heavy Attacks. Work in a progression, such as Light, Light, Medium, Medium, Heavy.
• Scouts gain energy slowly over time. If you’re in danger, try evading or blocking until you have enough energy to even the odds.
• Cloak can be used to perfect your defense. Use it whenever you leave an area so your enemies never know exactly where you’re going, and, of course, rely on it to drop out of sight whenever the enemy has you targeted for pain.
• Dodging with rolls is your best melee escape mechanism, though you can also block if you don’t think you’re going to get surrounded.
• Satchel Bombs can give you space from melee attackers if you learn to hurl them just right.

Warrior

• Many moves can be extended by hitting the button repeatedly, such as the Warrior’s Whirlwind Sweep.
• The Warrior can block melee attacks. However, certain attacks exist that cannot be blocked. These attacks differ from unit to unit, but every character possesses at least one. The Warrior’s Flame of Fury will still cause damage to blocking enemies.
• Certain attacks cannot be interrupted by enemy attacks, such as the Warrior’s Heavy Attack. These moves are generally slower, but inflict major damage. However, they are also slow to recover if you miss, providing the enemy a chance to counterattack. Experiment to find more, as these attacks can quickly turn the tide of battle when used properly.
• Warriors can string together combo moves to a maximum of six in a row.
• With Warriors, try stringing together melee attacks, starting with Light Attacks and ending with Heavy Attacks. A sequence such as Light, Light, Light, Medium, Medium, Heavy is among the Warrior’s deadliest combos.
• Warriors can also press Jump and Heavy Attack while in the air to perform an acrobatic slash on the target who they’re about to land on.
• Your sweep attacks can drive multiple enemies back. It’s effective for giving yourself more room and clearing areas such as capture circles.

• Throwing Axe is more a defensive action than an offensive one. Sure, it can deal damage, but more often than not you’ll find yourself tossing an axe to distract your foes as you close on them.